Rings
by native portlandian
Summary: "When the sun has set, no candle can replace it." Oneshot.


Disclaimer - *pulls out pockets* does it look like I own any major franchises.

A/N – Just a short one this time :)

…

The Titan's East Tower was absolutely wild with noise on the morning of July 23rd. On all levels, people bustled and talked. Plates and glasses clinked; orders were called. Every once in a while, a bubble of laughter floated up into the upper guest bedrooms. The smells of various cooking meals permeated the Tower; the scent of meat particularly present. And undertone of sugary sweetness wafted just beneath, contrasting strangely with the grilling smell.

Beast Boy adjusted his golden bow tie in the mirror over the chest of drawers residing by the wall. It was a weird color against his dark green skin. He had informed Cy that it made him look like an advertisement for Sprite, to which the half-robot had shrugged and laughed. "Not my area, B."

He pulled the sleeves of his white dress shirt a little further down his arms, cursing the fact that he hadn't bothered to break it in yet. He hadn't touched the damned thing since it had come in that terrifying bag – the one which now lay over the back of a chair in the corner. The pants also felt uncomfortably stiff, but that probably came from wearing spandex all the time. Beast Boy checked one more time that his shoes were tied. He had actually had to go out and buy the dress shoes – Cyborg wouldn't let him wear high tops. "Does this look like a middle school dance, Beast Boy?" Of course, when he had answered "a little bit", Cyborg had given him a clout over the ear.

The yellow vest was the only thing he could actually move in, even if the color looked wacky. Beast Boy patted the inside pocket, feeling for the slight press of the two metal circles against his chest. Still there. As Best Man, Beast Boy had been entrusted with keeping the rings safe until the big moment. Cyborg had originally been very hesitant about this particular responsibility, but had given in to his best friend's pleading that he would _never_ lose these irreplaceable bits of jewelry.

Fishing around with two fingers, he pulled out the beautiful, hand-crafted rings. Both were silver loops with little blue lines on the inside that reminded Beast Boy of Cyborg's computers. One of them was almost comically over-sized, forged to fit onto a larger-than-life left hand. The smaller one seemed to glitter with its own light – Cyborg had gone to great lengths to make sure it looked beautiful. This particular ring he hadn't trusted Beast Boy with until the night before, where he made the younger man _swear_ to protect it with his life. Smiling slightly, he slipped both rings back into the inner pocket.

Beast Boy spun on his heel to face the bed he had been sleeping in for the past three days. It was messy and unkempt; sheets and pillows thrown every which way. One might have thought he'd had a partner or two with him. But the reality was, Beast Boy was just a wild sleeper, much to the dismay of anyone unlucky enough to share a bed with him. He was happy to have gotten his own room, so no one had to deal with his mess.

Laying across the end of the bed was the last part of his suit – the navy blue jacket that matched the pants in color and crispness. Beast Boy was hesitant to put it on. The last time he had worn a suit wasn't necessarily the greatest memory. But he would do it for Cy on his special day. Beast Boy chuckled lightly at the thought. Isn't that something you usually said about the bride?

Four harsh, rapid knocks on the door gave Beast Boy a start. Running a hand over his somewhat combed hair, he stepped over to push the button that would slide the door open. Standing in the doorway was the groom himself, looking uncharacteristically nervous. He let himself in, pushing past Beast Boy to go and sit on the bed. Cyborg, being about seven feet tall and about three feet wide, decided that instead of getting a tuxedo made special for his almost entirely metal body, he would program holo-rings to make it look like he was wearing a tux. Beast Boy could see the two large metal rings around each of Cy's middle fingers.

"You almost ready, B?" Cyborg asked, clutching his hands together. Beast Boy snickered lightly at the half-robot's obvious nervousness. Cy looked like he was about to puke – the dark skin on his face was ashen.

"Yeah," he answered. Crossing his arms, the twenty-one year-old leaned against the wall. "Why are you freakin' out, man? Isn't this supposed to be a happy occasion? You look like you're about to take a test you didn't study for."

Cyborg glanced up for a moment, and Beast Boy instantly regretted the comment. His friend looked genuinely terrified. Beast Boy had never seen this look on Cy's face before, even when facing the scariest villains.

"How am I gonna do this, BB?" he mumbled. His eyes cast back down to the floor. "I mean, this is me promising the rest of my life to Karen. What if I'm not good enough? What if I can't be there forever?"

Beast Boy flinched the tiniest bit. Cyborg didn't notice. "Dude, you're gonna be fine. Remember when you proposed to her?"

Cyborg's face relaxed as a smile pulled on his lips. "She punched me in the face because she thought I was joking."

"If that isn't true love, I don't know what is!" the green changeling laughed. Cyborg chuckled softly.

"I never thought I'd marry a girl," he murmured, half to himself. Beast Boy ran a hand over his hair as he laughed even harder.

"Did you think you'd marry a dude, bro?" Cyborg rolled his eyes jokingly.

"You know what I mean, green bean." The half-robot stood up taking a deep breath as he did so. Stepping over to Beast Boy, he put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You've been with me every step of the way, B. It means so much to me."

Beast Boy shrugged, a slight blush turning his cheeks a strange mix of red and green. "Aw, c'mon, Cyborg. You gonna get sappy on me now?" Ignoring the younger man's comment, Cyborg pulled Beast Boy into a tight hug. The changeling immediately hugged him back, pushing away the sudden burst of stomach pain.

Cyborg let go of him, stepping back with his hands on the Best Man's shoulders. "Got the rings?"

Beast Boy smacked a hand against his chest, perhaps a little too hard. "Yup."

Cyborg smiled. "Then let's go to a wedding."

…

The ceremony went as smoothly as Cyborg had hoped. Beast Boy, for all of his usual terrible planning skills, had really come through on all of his responsibilities. All of the groomsmen were (relatively) organized, and Beast Boy had managed to keep Speedy sober throughout the whole ceremony, held atop the Titans East Tower. He had kept track of the rings and paid the caterers, photographer, and band. And when the music started, he walked with the Maid of Honor down the aisle. He stood by Cyborg at the altar, and watched Bumblebee strut down the aisle in a sparkling white gown, golden flowers weaved through her pigtails. He gave the rings to the groom, and watched the bride's dark eyes sparkle at the sight. Beast Boy led the cheers when the couple were pronounced legally married. He danced with practically everyone afterwards, spinning all of the girls onto the dance floor, including the bride.

When the first "non-first-dance" slow song came on, Beast Boy sat in one of the folding chairs around the perimeter of the roof, watching Cyborg and Bumblebee spin slowly in the center of the dance floor. Some other couples swayed around them, but none had that look of pure love glazing their eyes that the bride and groom did. A familiar squeezing feeling entered his chest.

Starfire, passing by with a champagne glass in her hand, stopped abruptly in front of Beast Boy. Her red hair cascaded down her shoulders in beautiful curls, and the golden bridesmaid dress made her look like a living flame. Her bright green eyes were wide with concern. She floated over to Beast Boy and sat down next to him, following his line of sight. She made a tiny noise of understanding.

"I have never been to an Earth marriage ceremony before," Starfire commented softly. "It is similar on Tameran, except instead of the cake we eat the Gleebar the bride slaughters at the end of the vows. This is much more beautiful." She paused. Beast Boy could see her watching him out of the corner of his eye. "Robin told me that it is not uncommon for humans to cry at weddings. I can understand why."

Beast Boy smiled slightly, swiping at the wetness that had tracked down his face. "It is beautiful, Star," he whispered. A catch made his throat close, and he stopped trying to wipe away the tears. Starfire was quiet for a moment.

"She would have loved this, Beast Boy," the alien girl murmured. "I know she said she was "not into the parties", but I she was also very much "into the you"." Starfire brushed a slowly falling tear off of her friend's cheek. "Your wedding would have been just as beautiful, friend Beast Boy." She gave him a kiss on his temple, probably leaving behind a pink lipstick imprint. She then flew away, leaving Beast Boy to sit with his thoughts.

He loosened his bow tie and unbuttoned the top of his starchy dress shirt. He reached his slender fingers into the collar and pulled out the thread looped loosely around his throat. Tied to the end was a simple golden ring set with an amethyst; still warm from its spot next to his heart. He pulled the necklace off of his head, gently cupping the ring in his palm. The purple stone glittered in the late afternoon sunlight. Raven had never shown an interest in diamonds; she believed them to be superficial. So Beast Boy had gotten her a ring to match her eyes.

He hadn't taken off the necklace ever since the day she had died. Hadn't let it leave his sight from the moment she pressed it back into his palm as he held her hand, begging her not to leave. "For luck," she had whispered. It took him a few hours to realize that she was referring to the penny he had given her all those years ago, which she wore on a chain underneath her clothes.

Beast Boy wrapped his fingers around the engagement ring and looked up at Cy and Bee. The song had ended, but the couple were still looking at each other like nothing else existed. All he could think of was Raven. She would have been such a beautiful bride.

He replaced the necklace, but this time over his clothes. Standing up, he wiped the sleeve of his jacket across his face and stretched. A slight breeze ruffled his hair. He thought a hint of green tea brushed against his nose, but it was probably just his imagination.


End file.
